The postage meter stamp is imprinted on envelops, or your mail piece as a replacement for regular stamps. It was introduced in the U.S. in 1912 by Arthur Pitney; who by the way in 1920 started a business with Walter Bowes to produce the meter machine.

Does the name Pitney Bowes ring a bell?

Here are the criteria for the printed stamp: a. Margins, or border. b. Pattern or design. c. Issuing Country d. Stated value, example 39 cents. e. Postmark, the date the Post Office received the item. f. Slogan; public service promotion, charity information, or your advertised product. g. Time of Mailing, some time this information may or may not show within the postmark interior suitable, or it may be placed at the left of the metered stamp. h. Regular Inks used to print the meter stamps are: Lilac, Green, Purple, Blue, Black, Orange, and Red.

The above postal mark description is printed with a unique and recognizable design that lets you know it is a postage meter stamp.

The postage meter stamps are printed by postage meter machines, which are either hand operated or entirely automated. The meter machine houses the mechanism that prints the postage meter stamp on the appropriate envelopes and labels which you apply to your mail piece.

A very convenient way to pay for postage, you can use postage meter stamps to send your mail when you have the proper date and other necessary postage acts.

The postage meter stamp then becomes invalid, as it has served its purpose and can only be used once like a regular 39 cent stamp.

The postage meter unit is the actual recording mechanism found inside the machine.